It is known to use aerostat aircraft or model helicopter-type aircraft having a mounted camera to capture aerial photographic and video images. Aerostats are aircraft that remain aloft primarily by lift provided by a buoyant balloon and/or by aerodynamic lift provided by the contoured shape of the balloon. Conventional aerostats are moored to the ground by a tether line to prevent escape from the operator. Helicopter-type aircraft, normally either helicopters or multicopters, remain aloft through lift provided by one or more engine driven rotors.
Using conventional aerostats for aerial photography and surveillance is difficult. Aerostats allow little operator control. Positioning the camera to maintain a picture frame is difficult as aerostat position is affected by wind. The ability to maneuver and rotate an aerostat is limited. Shifting winds require repositioning of the aerostat and tether line to maintain a picture frame. Much operator effort is required to keep the tether line and other aerostat components from blocking or falling into the picture frame.
Additionally, balloons used with conventional aerostats must be very large to provide sufficient lift to raise the aerostat to a desired elevation. Trucks or like large vehicles are needed to transport the balloon and tanks containing appropriate amounts of the expensive lighter-than-air gasses required to fill the balloon.
While helicopter-type aircraft offer an improved degree of positional control over conventional aerostats, constant use of rotors transmits vibrations to attached cameras, resulting in impaired image quality. Constant rotor operation to maintain lift consumes large amounts of energy and limits fight times, limiting the amount of time a camera can maintain a desired aerial picture frame. If rotors or other mechanical components fail, helicopter control becomes impossible. The helicopter-type aircraft will crash to the ground, damaging the aircraft and attached camera equipment and risking injury to by-standers.
Thus, there is a need for an improved aerostat assembly for aerial photography and aerial surveillance. The aerostat assembly should allow the operator to maintain precise control over camera position regardless of wind shifts or aircraft position, should be easy to transport with reduced use of expensive lighter-than-air gasses, should transmit minimal vibrations to camera equipment, allow prolonged flight times with low energy requirements and reduce injury risk to equipment and by-standers in case of control or power failure.